An armed group stormed the Tunisian consulate in the Libyan capital Tripoli and kidnapped 10 staff, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The incident was a “blatant attack on Tunisian national sovereignty and a flagrant violation of international laws and diplomatic norms”, the ministry said in a statement.

Libyan officials were not immediately available for comment. Tunisia is one of the few countries which still has a mission in Tripoli, which is controlled by a government not recognised by the international community.